Prompt One Make a list of five physical / tangible things you want to own or have. In your wildest dreams, what are five material things you want? Prompt Two Make a brief list of five changes you would like to make. Could be emotional, health, financial, or personal. Be specific. For example: Emotional: Change attitude or feelings that don’t serve you. Is there something you are having a hard time letting go? List that, or those, if there are more than one. Rather than good health: Lose weight, change eating habits, drink more water, etc. Rather than exercise: Be specific about types of movement, etc. Rather than the broad category of “financial,” consider: Freedom from present money worries, wanting future financial security, etc. In your wildest dreams, what are five personal things you want? Prompt ThreeFrom Facebook post by Interesting World, April 24, 2025: Sometimes, the real reason for…
Author: mcullen
Marlene Cullen is enthusiastic about encouraging people to write, even those who think they can’t write. Her series of books, The Write Spot anthologies, features writing that entertains as well as inspires writing. Every story, vignette, and poem in The Write Spot books include writing prompts motivating readers to become writers.
Marlene hosts The Write Spot Blog, a treasure chest of inspirational gems for writers.
Fulfilling her passion for writing and sharing with others, Marlene has created unique writing environments such as Jumpstart Writing Workshops, where participants often experience transformational changes. Her workshops provide essential elements for successful writing.
Marlene is the founder of Writers Forum of Petaluma, a monthly literary event featuring presenters talking about the craft and business of writing.
Marlene's awarding winning short stories and essays have been published in literary journals, anthologies, and newspapers, including Tiny Lights, Building Bridges, More Bridges, Redwood Writers anthologies, and The Write Spot anthologies.
She is a member of the California Writer's Club.
Relinquishing the Wagon
Memorable writing that sparks imagination. Lean in. Hear the writer’s voice on the page. Relinquish the Wagon By CM Riddle Many of us go through life dragging a wagon behind us. Gripping the handle, we continue to pull it along while we try grasping at things ahead of us with the other hand. Imagine how much more we could attain if only we could bring ourselves to release that dang wagon. What could possibly be so important in that wagon, you may ask. Well, there’s a lot of history in it, I will tell you that. It is packed with cherished memories and painful experiences. It gets heavier every year. The grudges weigh a lot, and the guilt slows your pace. But with every step, tugging your wrist, pulling your elbow, and making those broad shoulders, which carry the weight of the world, so weary your, grip begins to slip….
A contest you won, or almost won . . . Prompt #844
Write about a contest you won OR came close to winning OR wish you had won #justwrite #amwriting #imawriter
Something you made . . . Prompt #843
Write about something you made. Did you keep it or give it to someone? Just Write! #amwriting #justwrite #iamawriter
Any Haircut Is Better With a Smile
Memorable writing that sparks imagination. Lean in. Hear the writer’s voice on the page. Any Haircut Is Better With a Smile By DSBriggs My hair is what? Old, graying and instead of wiry, fine. Since I have been retired my hair style is whatever takes no work and usually in need of a trim or cut. Haircuts, however, are so darned expensive that to save money I used cut-rate clip-joints. I decided to let my hair grow out. It eventually came down to my shoulders. I tried to wear it back with a French braid or bun or even a pony tail. This dream came crashing down when I no longer had the hand strength or coordination to use rubber bands designed for fine hair. Too klutzy to use hair accessories like combs or claws or barrettes, I resorted to clips. My friends were too kind to tell me that really…
What a good editor can do for you
Thoughts from Elizabeth Austin. “A good editor gives feedback that feels less like judgment and more like a conversation—less ‘here’s what’s wrong’ and more ‘here’s where we can dig deeper.’ There is something incredibly satisfying, almost magical, in those small, right-aligned edits that a good editor suggests. A word change here, a rephrase there, and suddenly the piece feels tighter, braver. One editor suggested I cut an entire paragraph detailing a painful memory I thought was essential to the piece. ‘The story feels stronger without this part,’ she said, and once I’d made the cut, I realized the rest of the piece came into sharper focus, allowing the heart of the essay to shine through.” About a difficult piece she wrote: “Going into these pieces alone would have felt impossible. I needed someone at the mouth of that cave, someone who could shine a light and pull me back if…
Grandma Carrie
Memorable writing that sparks imagination. Lean in. Hear the writer’s voice on the page. Grandma Carrie By Robin Mills I remember the scent of my grandma Carrie, slightly sour mixed with ivory soap. I remember the click of her heels, the kidney shaped metal cleat meant to prolong the life of shoe soles tapping on the cold hard tile floor of their Palm Springs apartment. I remember seeing the white hoop cheese she used to stuff her home-made blintzes, nestled between her front teeth when she leaned in to whisper something in my ear, and her thick toenails covered in shiny red polish. Grandma Carrie came across the ocean as a child with her mother, from Kiev, fleeing pogroms and leaving behind some of her ten siblings who would never follow, only to be lost to concentration camps. They settled, living in a New York walk-up, likely shared with more…
What are you tired of? . . . Prompt #842
Writing Prompt: What are you tired of? #justwrite #iamwriting #iamawriter
Dastardly Deeds . . . Prompt #841
Writing Prompt: Dastardly Deeds that someone did to you. Dastardly Deeds you did. Have you forgiven them? Have you forgiven yourself? Can you? What would it take to forgive?
Imagine
An inspiring message from Gurdeep Pandher The human mind tends to focus on painful memories while letting positive ones fade. These distressing memories become our heaviest burden, causing ongoing emotional pain. How much of our past can we carry with us through life’s journey? This is a profound question that affects everyone in different ways. The past resides within our memories like a vast collection of stories, each one leaving its unique impression upon our consciousness. These memories manifest in various forms — from the radiantly joyful moments that warm our hearts, to the mundane yet comfortable memories of everyday life, to the deeply sorrowful experiences, and finally to those truly tormenting recollections that seem to pierce our very soul. When we carry these memories forward naturally, allowing them to exist without judgment, it should theoretically be manageable. However, human nature often leads us down a different path. We tend…